Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Psychosexual Support

This is another post which might embarrass our four children. You know what its like. Kids never think of there parents 'doing things'. Today Ms Cath Lindley, General Manager of Macmillan Cancer Services in Wales has been starring on the television - talking about sex. She's a handsome woman and she looked straight into the camera and told me, the viewer, that I have been deprived of the psychosexual support that I needed six years ago. It seems that this deprivation could well have left me with my confidence shattered, my body image low, and psychologically and physically unable to have sex. Made me feel as if my life was over. According to Cath, when I underwent a lower bowel re-section to remove a significant and cancerous part of my body (my rectum, anus and associated muscles) six years ago, I should have been given this psychosexual support. After all these bits had been removed and disposed of, my new colostomy and I were just sent out into the big wide world, naked of psychsexual analysis, and unprepared to deal with our sexual inadequacies. Perhaps its because I hadn't heard about this problem that I hadn't noticed that much difference from before. I'm sure if some counsellor had started wittering on about my low body image and the psychological problems I was going to face, I would have resolved to park my tractor in the garage for ever, there and then. But yet again, ignorance has turned out to be bliss. I particularly liked Cath's comment - "There's good practice taking place in parts of Wales". For those of you who are also cancer survivors, there's more advice in an amusing video clip on Guido's blog.